What Do You Need?

Google Cardboard

Smartphone with a gyroscope

Cardboard works by splitting your smartphone’s screen in half, effectively using each half as a separate lens — one for each eye. Your phone displays an image on each half of the screen from a slightly different perspectives, which is what creates the 3D effect.

You need a smartphone with a gyroscopic sensor for head tracking. If you aren’t sure if your phone has a gyroscope, find your phone on GSMArena and take a look at the sensor list.

Which Cardboard Headset to Get?

To get the best experience from Google’s VR platform, you need a Cardboard headset. These were originally given away at I/O in 2014 to all attendees, and soon after Google released manufacturer specifications, thus opening up an entire market for Cardboard headsets.

The Cardboard headsets are designed to be inexpensive ranging between $10 and $30. They are made out of cardboard after all, and if those that are designed to Google’s specifications can carry the “Works with Google Cardboard” verification.

While these official headsets are made of cardboard, some “premium” sets have recently come onto the market with better construction. If you fancy a hit of nostalgia with your modern tech, then you could try out the View-Master Virtual Reality Starter Pack, which is Cardboard compatible:

Despite the “headset” terminology, Cardboard has to be held up to the face rather than supported by a head-strap. This is because fast head movements in VR environments can cause nausea — a very unpleasant experience — and Google is keen to avoid that problem for Cardboard users.

Which Smartphone: iOS or Android?

When Google initially launched Cardboard, the Software Development Kit (SDK) for developers was limited just to Android, but Google eventually made the Cardboard app available on both iOS and Android. Unfortunately, the number of apps currently favors Android due to the head start.

But ever since Google published the iOS SDK in May 2015, we’ve seen a steady increase in iOS Cardboard apps. Aside from the Google Cardboard app, some of the best iOS VR apps are:

As is usually the way with Google’s April Fools, this fairly ridiculous idea has actually remained available for you to watch viral YouTube videos to this day, all with Snoop’s insightful commentary as you sit next to him in your comfy handheld VR cinema.

Get Inside Your TV

If you’ve finished binge watching “Breaking Bad” on Netflix, then you’ve probably moved onto the spin-off show “Better Call Saul” based on Saul Goodman’s formative years as a lawyer. AMC knows how invested fans are in Vince Gilligan’s mega-hit, so they gave you a gift: a 360-degree tour of the sets from Better Call Saul.

As broadcasters begin to dip their toes into virtual reality, expect to see this concept taken to the next level with VR shows popping up more and more in the coming years.

Play Around & Have Fun

Gaming is probably the most widely talked about use for VR, largely due to the Oculus Rift’s notoriety. While Cardboard isn’t designed to be able to handle high-end games, the ones you are able to play are still quite enjoyable and fun.

As most Cardboard apps don’t require actual controllers — only the use of head-tracking and the magnetic button on the top of Cardboard — this makes them ideal for showing off the potential of VR gaming without the steep learning curve.

This virtual reality runner, which is similar to the more popular Temple Run, is really fun and easy to play guiding the firefly Lamper through tunnels and avoiding obstacles.

Try It Before You Buy It

When you buy tickets for a sports event, it can be hard to know if you are getting a great view or one that’s more towards disappointing. VR can actually help here.

Rukkus has created 360-degree panoramas of most major NHL and NBA stadiums in the U.S., and with the power of virtual reality, you can take in the view from your chosen seat before buying the ticket.

Rukkus has launched this feature in their iOS app first with Android support coming soon. Although you can view the panorama on your phone, using Cardboard makes for a more immersive view, so that you can get a better sense of what the seating area will be like.

Explore Before You Travel

Choosing where to go on holiday can be one of the most stressful parts of booking some well-deserved relaxation time. What if you choose the wrong place? Or don’t make the most of the time you have there?

Apps like London VR are here to help. By using VR explorations you can scope out a city or destination before visiting. Not only can these virtual tours help you plan a holiday, but they can allow you to experience areas or destinations that are usually unavailable to most people.

Along those lines, Inside Abbey Road” is a Cardboard VR experience developed by Google that takes you on a guided tour of the famous recording studio, giving you an insight into a place that is held in very high regard by music fans around the world.

A Unique Learning Opportunity

While this is the first time Medical Realities performed a live broadcast, they specialize in using virtual reality to make it easier and more effective to train medical students as the video below shows:

In environments like the Operating Theatre, it wouldn’t be practical or safe to host a large class of students to watch such a procedure, but the use of affordable technology allows them to see and experience it as if they were there, while also opening it up to people all around the world.

James is a freelance writer passionate about making technology accessible and safe for everyone. Alongside technology writing, also interested in health, travel, music, and mental health. BEng in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Surrey. Can also be found writing about chronic illness at PoTS Jots.